So last night we got a new player in our game. He created an Oracle character. I had not played or read much about the Oracle class therefore I ask “Does an Oracle a Spontaneous Cast?”
At the same time the GM said “Yes” and the new player asked “What is Spontaneous Casting?”
I replied “Casting spell without preparing them ahead of time.”
At this answer, the player playing the druid said “No, Spontaneous Casting is a class ability for a druid that allows the caster to “lose” any prepared spell to cast a summon spell or a cleric to cast a cure spell.”
The person playing the cleric that agreed with him (the druid player) and the GM and I disagree with him (the druid player), which lead into a spall discussion.
Therefore, I am asking what people call that ability to ‘cast spell without preparing them ahead of time’ like how the Bard, Sorcerer and apparently the Oracle does?
you got it right
Spontaneous casting.
Druids and Clerics can spontaneously convert spells to SNA / Cure spells. They can not spontaneously cast them.
So last night we got a new player in our game. He created an Oracle character. I had not played or read much about the Oracle class therefore I ask “Does an Oracle a Spontaneous Cast?”
At the same time the GM said “Yes” and the new player asked “What is Spontaneous Casting?”I replied “Casting spell without preparing them ahead of time.”
At this answer, the player playing the druid said “No, Spontaneous Casting is a class ability for a druid that allows the caster to “lose” any prepared spell to cast a summon spell or a cleric to cast a cure spell.”The person playing the cleric that agreed with him (the druid player) and the GM and I disagree with him (the druid player), which lead into a spall discussion.
Therefore, I am asking what people call that ability to ‘cast spell without preparing them ahead of time’ like how the Bard, Sorcerer and apparently the Oracle does?
You are correct. The Druid and Cleric abilities are Spontaneous Conversion.
The Druid ability to convert spells to SNA's and the Cleric ability to convert to any Cure spell are examples of 'marking off spell slots to cast a spell not memorized', which is an exeption to their normal spellcasting but the standard system for the Bard, Sorc and Oracle.
Similar abilites with similar names.
To be honest, both are correct. Sorcerers, Oracles and Bards are true Spontaneous casters, which means with all their spells, they do not need to be prepared.
Where Druids and Clerics are prepared casters, the spells they sponteanously convert (from their prepared spell list) are also considered spontaneously casted as they also suffer from the same drawback when using a Metamagic feat.
Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats: A cleric spontaneously casting a cure or inflict spell, or a druid spontaneously casting a summon nature's ally spell, can cast a metamagic version of it instead. Extra time is also required in this case. Casting a standard action metamagic spell spontaneously is a full-round action, and a spell with a longer casting time takes an extra full-round action to cast. The only exception is for spells modified by the Quicken Spell feat, which can be cast as a swift action.
After scouring the rule book, there's nothing that says that the casting ability of sorcerers and bards (and by extension, summoners and oracles) is officially called "spontaneous casting", which is the term for the cleric/druid ability.
However, the Magic section states
Most spellcasters prepare spells in advance—whether from a spellbook or through prayers—while some cast spells spontaneously without preparation.
and the various prestige classes that increase spellcasting ability say
He does not, however, gain
other benef its a character of that class would have gained,
except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is
a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level
of spellcasting.
which leads me to believe that "spontaneous casting" is the de facto name for "casting spells without preparing them in advance", while not being an official term (Similar to how "iterative attack" only occurs once in the CRB, under "Ending the Campaign" in the Gamemastering chapter).
After scouring the rule book, there's nothing that says that the casting ability of sorcerers and bards (and by extension, summoners and oracles) is officially called "spontaneous casting", which is the term for the cleric/druid ability.
However, the Magic section states
Most spellcasters prepare spells in advance—whether from a spellbook or through prayers—while some cast spells spontaneously without preparation.and the various prestige classes that increase spellcasting ability say
which leads me to believe that "spontaneous casting" is the de facto name for "casting spells without preparing them in advance", while not being an official term (Similar to how "iterative attack" only occurs once in the CRB, under "Ending the Campaign" in the Gamemastering chapter).He does not, however, gain
other benef its a character of that class would have gained,
except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is
a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level
of spellcasting.
I agree about the "spontaneous casting" is the de facto name for "casting spells without preparing them in advance."
We of course pulled out of core rules and saw the Spontaneous Casting ability of the cleric and druid. I really wished they would of called it spontaneous conversion or something similar.